Scifi that starts normal then goes cosmic

a year ago by DSN9 to c/books

I really enjoy sci-fi that starts grounded in reality — that eases you in with a slow build, a sense of normalcy, before the shift. I love when the story begins in the everyday, then opens into something strange and vast. Think the beginning of The Matrix or Old Man’s War, perhaps? That kind of vibe. Any recommendations?

Know_not_Scotty_does 21 points a year ago

The Expanse series is kind-of near scifi that goes cosmic.

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smuuthbrane 13 points a year ago

Three Body Problem. The first book builds up like that, and the next two just keep going. It's a wild ride.

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DSN9 8 points a year ago

Yes- I've read them. Just found out about the 4th one; "The Redemption of Time," although it is fan fiction, even Liu Cixin recommended it, apparently made the author Baoshu an established writer.

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smuuthbrane 5 points a year ago

Oooh, I didn't know that existed. I'd better go find it, thanks for the tip!

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BlackJerseyGiant 12 points a year ago

The Expanse series.

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solarvector 4 points a year ago

It's a good example of relatively "real" science fiction but doesn't start normal, pretty much sets the tone and sticks with it. Some reveals come but it's now in the vein of mystery.

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BlackJerseyGiant 9 points a year ago

Gotta disagree. We start flying in spaceships bound by real physics as we understand it, albeit with better tech, doing normal human stuff, like blowing each other up, and then each book progressively unfolds another layer, literally logarithmicly more alien than before, while also expanding the scope of the Expanse.

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Sanctus 12 points a year ago

Gurren Lagann, its an anime but the beginning of the show to the end of the show is such a fantastical journey.

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pishadoot 4 points a year ago

I'm not a huge anime fan in general but I fucking love Gurren Lagann.

That show feels like every episode is competing to be the most ridiculous, but the only other competitor is the previous episode of the same show.

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Sanctus 3 points a year ago

I did not notice this was a books community -.-

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deadbeef79000 10 points a year ago

Greg Bear is a master of that style.

Eon especially when paired with Eternity its sequel.

Forge of God and Anvil of Stars.

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Hugin 1 point a year ago

I always like the first 100 or so pages and the last 100 pages of his books. The middle is always such a slog to get through.

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deadbeef79000 2 points a year ago

Hmm. I'd never really thought about that before and totally agree.

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yaroto98 9 points a year ago

Project Hail Mary fits the bill. Though it's popular enough you've likely already read it.

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DSN9 4 points a year ago

This looks really cool, thank you!

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bradboimler 3 points a year ago

I loved it. You're in for a treat.

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MrSulu 8 points a year ago

One of my recent reads might meet your need. Adrian Tchaikovsky, Children of Time (2015). Recommended by a friend

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Obi 4 points a year ago

Strong recommend on this as well.

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CitizenKong 1 point a year ago

Tschaikofsky is amazing in general, my new favourite sci-fi writer. The Children trilogy is great hard sci-fi while the Architects trilogy is equally awesome epic space opera.

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MrSulu 2 points a year ago

Yes indeed my like-minded pal

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gramie 8 points a year ago

Accelerando by Charles Stross.

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Scipitie 7 points a year ago

The bobiverse series could fit for you as well, quite a strong ramp up but starting, well, now.

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domdanial 6 points a year ago

"To Sleep in a Sea of Stars" starts pretty grounded, has a weird thing happen to the main character, then massively increases in scope.

It's not quite hard sci-fi, as tech for ftl travel exists. It has some proto-molecule McMuffin as well.

It's by the writer of Eragon, I enjoyed it but I also don't have a discerning taste in author.

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Berttheduck 4 points a year ago

I too enjoyed that one, it's nice to see him grow from Eragon, the writing in this I feel is much better. Definitely goes from small personal level stuff to let's save the universe type deal. A good read.

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mesamunefire 6 points a year ago

The Wandering Inn has some moments like this at the beginning. The reader slowly realizes how vast the universe is and it just keeps going.

The Perfect Run is very good as well. The universe and the MC are really fun to read.

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mesamunefire 3 points a year ago

"starts grounded in reality" oh woops! NVM. Feel free to ignore then!

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owsei 5 points a year ago

You probably already read it, but 2001 is awesome

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viewports 3 points a year ago

seveneves is kind of like that

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Auster 3 points a year ago

Horror oriented, but Tales from the Loop and its sequel, Things from the Flood, go like this, the first book rather normal despite its subject, but setting up for the shift into the cosmic horror from the second book. Didn't read The Electric State or The Maze to know if they're part of the same narrative.

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thespcicifcocean 2 points a year ago

Project hail Mary,

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glibg 2 points a year ago

The hitchhikers guide starts normal, for like a dozen pages.

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pinball_wizard 2 points a year ago

Using "Old Man's War" and "The Matrix" as a vibe guide (intimate stories with some brain bending twists), here's some I haven't seen mentioned here, yet:

"The Long Earth" by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
"The Peace War" by Vernor Vinge
"A Deepness in the Sky" by Vernor Vinge
"Walkaway" by Corey Doctorow
"Paycheck" and "The Minority Report" by Philip K Dick - Both also got decent movies and much of Philip K Dick's work fits this vibe, actually.
"The Door Into Summer" by Robert Heinlein

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Okokimup 2 points a year ago

14 by Peter Clines.

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dil 1 point a year ago

Books or comics?

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k_rol 1 point a year ago

Whichever

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AAA 1 point a year ago

If The Expanse is OK, then Alastair Reynolds - Pushing Ice, also fits the bill.

Starts with humans being in solar space already, and goes from there.

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